Packaging apparatus



Jan. 5, 1965 A. H. ATKINSON PACKAGING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fild Dec. 15, 1962 W m f FIG. I.

Inventor ARTHUR HENRY ATKiNSON Attorneys Jan. 5, 1965 A. H. ATKINSON 3,164,241

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor ARTHUR HENRY ATKINSON Attorneys Jan. 5, 1965 A. H. ATKINSON 3,164,241

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l I I FIG. 3.

Inventor ARTHUR HENRY ATKINSON Attorneys Jan. 5, 1965 A. H. ATKINSON PACKAGING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 13, 1962 Inventor ARTHUR HENRY ATKINSON Attorneys Jan. 5, 1965 A. H. ATKINSON 3,164,241

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 13, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5.

I nvenlor ARTHUR HENRY ATKINSON Attorneys United States Patent 3,154,241 PACKAGLNG AFFARATUS Arthur Henry Atkinson, Gainsborough, England, assignor to Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British company Filed Dec. 13, 19b2, Ser. No. 244,327 Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 14, M61 Claims. (Cl. 198-39) This invention relates to packaging apparatus, and is concerned with the feeding and collecting of successive given numbers of articles, e.g., sweets, in the form of regular batches with the articles lying end to end for subsequent feeding as a succession of batches to a wrapping or packaging machine, the articles being so shaped that their thickness is the smallest dimension. The articles may have been previously wrapped individually before the batching operation.

According to the present invention, a packaging apparatus for the above purpose comprises means for feeding a plurality of separate single files of articles towards a collecting station, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an open-ended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, and a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine.

The articles are conveniently fed by a common belt conveyor over which is arranged a number of side guides to provide a number of lanes corresponding to the number of files of articles. The side guides may be in the form of wires or bands. In the receiving position, the slots of the transfer members lie horizontally with their bases in substantially the same plane as that of the upper surface of conveyor belt, a common dead plate leading from the end of the conveyor towards the transfer members to guide the articles into the slots, the articles being pushed home into their respective slots by succeeding articles.

The frictional urge of the belt on the articles is preferably augmented by a series of driven bands, one for each file of articles, the bands being arranged to press upon the upper surfaces of the articles.

It is preferable not to relay on gravity alone to cause the articles to move from the slots in the transfer members (after the pivotal action) into the respective chutes,

and for this reason there may be arranged above the transfer members a series of ejectors, one for each transfer member, mounted on a common oscillating support, the latter being conveniently mounted on a parallel motion linkage and operated in timed relationship with the transfer members so as to cause the ejectors to pass through the slots of the transfer members while the slots are extending downwardly, thus ejecting any article that has not fallen by gravity. The ejectors are preferably resiliently mounted. The transfer members are conveniently pivoted by rack and pinion mechanism, the

rack being reciprocated by cam and lever mechanism.

For reasons dictated by mechanical considerations arising from the constructionand operation of the transfer members which must be arranged one over each chute, the lateral pitching of the chutes is greater at the upper end of the hopper than is necessary or desirable at the lower end of the hopper. The chutes are, therefore, ar-

Elfiiil Patented Jan. 5 1965 ranged to converge somewhat downwardly to be separated at the lower end of the hopper only by a thin wall.

The belt conveyor will normally be run at a somewhat greater speed than is strictly necessary to provide the number of batches required by the wrapping machine, so that the articles will accumulate in the lanes in close files. The articles may be fed on to the conveyor belt by automatic feeding means, e.g., as descnibed in British specification No. 43621/59.

Under normal running conditions, the various chutes of the hopper will be full of articles standing on top of each other, and it is convenient to provide this condition when the machine is first started up. To this end, there is conveniently provided at a position near the bottom of the hopper, i.e., at a height above the delivery support a little over the height of the articles, a series of individually spring urged presser members arranged to pass between the walls of the respective chutes so as to be engaged by the leading articles gravitating down the chutes, thus temporarily arresting the articles. The articles are thus caused to build up in the chutes until the topmost article in each chute is in a position to be forced downwardly by a succeeding article being ejected from the transfer member by the resilient ejector. In these circumstances, as each batch is removed from the bottom of the hopper, a further batch is transferred from the belt conveyor into the hopper.

By way of example, the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is an elevation of an apparatus for the feeding and collecting of wrapped toffees into regular batches for transfer to a wrapping machine,

FIGURE 2 is a side view, partly in section, of the ap paratus shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary View, drawn to a larger scale, of part of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 55 in FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a section taken on the line 66 in FIGURE 3, and

FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams, illustrating the operation of a part of the apparatus.

Sweets 11 are fed towards a collecting station, situated at the top of a multiple hopper 12 formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes 13, in separate lanes by a common conveyor belt 14', the lanes being separated by fixed wires 15. The sweets are supplied to the belt 14 by an automatic feeding device (not shown) and the belt 14 is driven through chain and sprocket gearing 16 from a main drive shaft 17. The frictional urge of the belt 14 on the sweets'll is augmented by a series of bands 18, one for each lane, the bands 18 being mounted on pulleys 19 and driven through spur gears 20 and chain and sprocket gearing 21 from the shaft 17. At the collecting station a plurality of transfer members 22 (one for each lane) are rotatably mounted in a plate 23 secured to the framework 24.- of the apparatus. Each transfer member 22 is formed with an open-ended slot 25 adapted freely to receive the successive leading sweet 11 from a given lane, the base of the slot 25 lying substantially in the same plane as the upper surface of the belt 14. A common dead plate 26 is positioned between the belt 14 and transfer members 22 to guide the sweets 11 into the slots 25, the sweets 11 being pushed home into their respective slots by succeeding sweets (see FIGURE 6). As the leading sweets 11 from the respective lanes are received in the slots 25 of the respective transfer members 22, the latter are rotated '3 through 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, such movement being effected by a toothed rack member 27 the teeth of which are arranged in mesh with pinions 28 secured to the pivot shafts 29 of the transfer members 22, the rack member 27 being secured to a slide bar 30 guided in grooved rollers 31 freely rotatable on the plate 23. The slide bar 30 is connected by a link 32 to an arm 33 pivotally mounted at 34 and carrying a roller 35 arranged to engage a rotatable cam 36 secured to a shaft 37 driven by the gearing 21 from the shaft 17. A bar 38, secured to the plate 23, is formed with a series of semi-circular grooves 39 each surrounding the lower half of a transfer member 22 to retain the sweets 11 in the slots 25 of the transfer members 22 during rotational movement thereof, suitable apertures 40 being provided Arranged above the transfer members 22 are a series of ejectors 41, one for each transfer member 22, resiliently mounted on a support bracket 42 carried on a pair of parallel motion linkages comprising arms 43 and 44, the linkages being pivotally mounted on each side of the apparatus on the framework 24. The arm 44 of each linkage carries a roller 45 arranged to engage a rotatable cam 46 secured to the shaft 37. Upon completion of the pivotal action of the transfer members 22 to turn the sweets through 90 the ejectors are operated to pass through the slots 25 (while the slots 25 extend downwardly) to eject any sweets that have not fallen by gravity and allow them to gravitate down the respective chutes 13 of the hopper 12 towards a delivery support 47. The chutes 13 in the hopper 12 are separated by partitions 48 extending from the rear face 49 of the hopper 12 and for reasons dictated by mechanical considerations arising from the construction and operation of the transfer members 22 which, as mentioned above, are arranged one over each chute 13, the lateral pitching of the chutes 13 is greater at the upper end of the hopper than is necessary or desirable at the lower end of the hopper 12. The chutes 13 are therefore arranged to converge somewhat downwardly towards the lower end of the hopper 12, the partitions 48 being so tapered that the chutes are separated at the lower ends only by thin wall portions 51.

As the leading sweet 11 of each file is received in the slot 25 of the respective transfer member 22 (the slot being arranged horizontally in the receiving position), the rack and pinion mechanisms 27 and 28 operate to rotate the transfer members 22 simultaneously through 90 to cause the slots 25 to extend downwardly. The depth of the slots 25 is somewhat less than the length of the sweets 11 to ensure that only the leading sweets 11 are engaged by the slots 25. The ejectors 41 are then operated to pass through the slots to eject any articles that have not fallen from the slots by gravity. The sweets 11 thus released from the transfer members 22 then gravitate down the respective chutes 13 on to the delivery support 47 in the form of a batch, the sweets 11 standing on edge and lying end to end separated only by the walls of the chutes 13.

Under normal running conditions, the various chutes 13 of the hopper 12 will be full of sweets 11 standing on top of each other, and it is convenient to provide this condition when the apparatus is first started up. To this end, there is-provided near the bottom of the hopper 12, at a height above the delivery support 47 a little over the height of the sweets 11, a series of individually spring urged trapper members 52 arranged to pass between the wall portions 51 of the respective chutes 13 so as to engage the leading sweets 11 gravitating down the chutes 13, and trap them against the rear face 49 of the hopper, thus temporarily arresting the sweets 11. The trapper members 52 are pivotally mounted on a plate 53 secured to the framework 24.

The sweets 11 thus build up in the chutes 13 until the topmost sweet 11 in each chute 13 is in a position to be forced downwardly by the succeeding sweets 11 being ejected from the transfer member 22 by the ejector 41. In these circumstances, each time a row of sweets 11 is moved into the chutes 13 of the hopper 12 from the transfor members 22, the lowermost row of sweets 11 in the hopper are pushed downwardly, clear of the trappers 52, onto the support 47 in the form of a batch, the sweets 11 standing on edge and lying end to end separated only by the wall portions 51 of the chute 13 (see FIGURE 7).

The sweets 11 may be fed on to the conveyor belt 14 by automatic feeding means, c.g., as described in British specification No. 43621/59, the conveyor belt 14 running at a somewhat greater speed than is strictly necessary to provide the number of batches required by the wrapping machine, so that the sweets 11 will accumulate in the lanes in close files. In order to provide such an accumulation when the machine is first started up, sprag devices 54 are arranged, one on each side of the apparatus, to arrest the actions of the mechanisms controlling the transfer members 22 and ejectors 41. The sprag devices 54 are secured to a shaft 56 pivotally mounted in brackets 57 secured to the framework 24. Each device 5 1 is provided with a lug 58, and a spring 59 is secured between the devices 54 and framework 24 to hold the devices in inoperative position. The devices 54 are moved into operative position by an operator rotating the devices 54, by the aid of a handle 61 secured to one of the lugs 53, in an anti-clockwise direction so that the upper portion 62 of each lug 53 engages a latch member 63 secured to the underside of each arm 44, such action holding the rollers 45 off the cams 4d and thus arresting the downward movement of the ejectors 41. The action of rotating the devices 54 also causes a further lug 64 extending from one of the devices 54 to move into the path of an extension 66 of the arm 33 thus holding the roller 35 off the cam 36 to arrest the movement of the rack member 27. As soon as each lane is full of sweets 11, the operator releases the devices 54 whereupon the sweets 11 are transferred in succession into the respective chutes 13 of the hopper 12 and, when the chutes are filled, successive batches are transferred from the bottom of the hopper 12 onto the support 47 as mentioned above.

The successive batches are moved transversely, clear of the hopper, on the support 47 by a bifurcated pusher constituted by inner and outer relatively movable members 67 and 68, respectively, provided with a number of tines 69 corresponding to the number of chutes 13 of the hopper 12 (see FIGURE 7). The inner member 67 is mounted on a bar 71 for sliding movement between a set of V grooved rollers 72 rotatably mounted on a bracket 73 secured to rods 74 mounted on the framework 24. A link 76 connects the bar 71 to an arm 77 pivotal-1y mounted on a shaft 73, the arm 77 carrying a roller 79 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam 81 secured to the shaft 17. The outer member 68 is similarly mounted on a bar 82 for sliding movement between a set of V grooved rollers 83 rotatably mounte don an extension 84 of the framework 24. A link 86 connects the bar 82 to an arm 87 pivotally mounted on the shaft 78, the arm 87 carrying a roller 88 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam 8% secured to the shaft 17 The cams 81 and 89 are so profiled as to provide an initial movement of the two members 67 and 6% in unison, to push the batch of sweets 11 along the support 47 to an intermediate position clear of the hopper 12 (see FIGURE 8) at which is arranged a stop 91 mounted on a parallel motion linkage 92 for movement into and out of the path of movement of the batch. A link 93 connects the linkage 92 to an arm 94 pivotally mounted at 96 and carrying a roller 97 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam 98 secured to the shaft 17.

At the intermediate position a pair of reciprocating positioning members 99, mounted one on either side of the pusher, are arranged to move towards each other endwise of the batch to move the individual sweets 11 into close juxtaposition (see FIGURE 9). The members 99 are each mounted on a bar 101 for sliding movement between a set of V grooved rollers mounted on the framework 24. Links 103 connect the bars 101 to arms 104, pivotally mounted at 1%, each arm dcarrying a roller 107 arranged to bear against the face of a rotatable cam 108 secured to the shaft 17.

After such endwise movement of the members 99, they are retracted clear of the path of movement of the inner member 67 of the pusher, and the movable stop is lifted clear of the batch, the inner member 6'7 then continuing its movement to transfer the batch from the support 4-7 into a waiting pocket 109 on an intermittently movable conveyor chain 111 (see FIGURE 10) arranged to trans port the successive batches of sweets 11 to a wrapping machine.

I claim:

1. Packaging apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising means for feeding a plurality of separate single files of articles towards a collecting station, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an openended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine, a series of ejectors, one for each transfer member and means for causing the ejectors to pass through the slots of the transfer members while the slots are extending downwardly.

2. Packaging apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising a belt conveyor for feeding a plurality of articles towards a collecting station, a plurality of side guides arranged over said conveyor to provide a number of lanes for dividing the plurality of articles into separate single files, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an open-ended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine, a series of ejectors, one for each transfer member, and means for causing the ejectors to pass through the slots of the transfer members while the slots are extending downwardly.

3. Packaging apparatus for the purpose specified, comprising means for feeding a plurality of separate single files of articles towards a collecting station, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an openended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine, a series of ejectors, one for each transfer member, mounted on a common support, and means for oscillating the support while the slots of the transfer members are extending downwardly to cause the ejectors to pass through the slots.

4. Packaging apparatus for the purpose specified, comprisinr means for feeding a plurality of separate single files of articles towards a collectin station, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an openended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine, a series of eject'ors, one for each transfer member, mounted on a common support, the support being mounted on a parallel motion linkage and means for oscillating the linkage while the slots of the transfer members are extending downwardly to cause the ejectors to pass through the slots.

5. Packaging apparatus for the purpose specified, c0mprising means for feeding a plurality of separate single files of articles towards a collecting station, a plurality of pivotal transfer members each formed with an open-ended slot adapted freely to receive the successive leading articles from a given file, means for pivoting the transfer members through substantially 90 to cause the slots to extend downwardly, an open-topped hopper formed with a series of downwardly extending chutes, one for each transfer member, adapted to receive the articles in succession from the respective transfer members, after the pivoting action, for the articles to gravitate to the bottom of the hopper, a transfer support adapted to receive the lowermost articles in the hopper to form successive batches for further conveyance to a wrapping machine, a series of ejectors, one for each transfer member, resiliently mounted on a common support, and means for oscillating the support while the slots of the transfer members are extending downwardly to cause the ejectors to pass through the slots.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. PACKING APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE SPECIFIED, COMPRISING MEANS FOR FEEDING A PLURALTY OF SEPARATE SINGLE FILES OF ARTICLES TOWARDS A COLLECTION STATION, A PLURALITY OF PIVOTAL TRANSFER MEMBERS EACH FORMED WITH AN OPENENDED ALOT ADAPTED TO FREELY TO RECEIVE THE SUCCESSIVE LEADING ARTICLES FROM A GIVEN FILE, MEANS FOR PIVOTING THE TRANSFER MEMBERS THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY 90* TO CAUSE THE SLOTS TO EXTEND DOWNWARDLY, AN OPEN-TOPPED HOPPER FORMED WITH A SERIES OF DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CHUTES, ONE FOR EACH TRANSFER MEMBRE, ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLES IN SUCCESSION FROM THE RESPECTIVE TRANSFER MEMBERS, AFTER THE PIVOTING ACTION, FOR THE ARTICLES TO GRAVITATE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HOPPER, A TRANSFER SUPPORT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE LOWERMOST ARTICLES IN THE HOPPER TO FORM SUCCESSIVE BATCHES FOR FURTHER CONVEYANCE TO A WRAPPING MACHINE, A SERIES OF EJECTORS, ONE FOR EACH TRANSFER MEMBER AND MEANS FOR CAUSING THE EJECTORS TO PASS THROUGH THE SLOTS OF THE TRANSFER MEMBERS WHILE HE SLOTS ARE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY. 